A man was arrested on charges of performing lewd, indecent, and obscene acts on an Etihad Airlines flight from Abu Dhabi to Boston. Krishna Kunapuli, 39, of India, was taken into custody for his actions, which occurred within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
According to a press release by the Department of Justice, Kunapuli is accused of making unwanted sexual advances towards a female passenger, which included touching her hair and taking photos of her without consent. After being confronted by a crew member, Kunapuli returned to his seat. It was later in the flight that two male passengers reportedly saw Kunapuli masturbating under a blanket and occasionally exposed.
Once alerted, a flight attendant promptly intervened, and subsequently, law enforcement was notified. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and officials from the FBI and the Massachusetts State Police announced the arrest and charges.
The charges laid provide for a sentence that could include up to 90 days in prison, a year of supervised release, and a fine of $5,000. The details in the charging documents remain allegations, and Kunapuli remains presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The announcement was made by authorities, including Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is assigned to the prosecution.
